


Beginnings

by tatoeba



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Fluff and Humor, M/M, Meet-Cute
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-23
Updated: 2014-10-23
Packaged: 2019-01-23 09:10:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,703
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12503948
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tatoeba/pseuds/tatoeba
Summary: When Jongin picks up a lost dog, he doesn’t exactly expect to fall in love with its owner.





	Beginnings

**Author's Note:**

> Written for minyeos for the chankai exchange at [stillnessismove](https://stillnessismove.livejournal.com/). I just couldn't pass up a chankai exchange no matter how much I try to stay away from exchanges lol. Many thanks to Alex for giving me some ideas and for looking this over!! ♥

Spending time with his puppies is one of Jongin's favorite things in the world. Jongin might spend all day, everyday, working with animals at his clinic, but his own puppies never fail to make him feel better. And, sure, their cute little barks and adorable faces have lifted some of the weight off his shoulders, but it's been a long week, and he still has all of tomorrow to get through, so Jongin just wants this walk to end as quickly as possible and get home.

It's a nice day out for late-September New York, and Central Park is pretty busy for the evening, full of joggers and others walking their dogs. Jongin is catching his breath on a bench, but figures it's probably time to get back up because Jjanggah is chewing at her sweater and Jjanggu is trying to pull Jongin up to his feet all by himself.

"All right, all right," he mutters, hauling himself up. He gives Monggu a quick pet on the head for being so calm and obedient, which, of course, gets the other two yipping for attention, too. It takes a few minutes to satisfy them all, and by then Jongin is laughing again, endeared. "Let's go, kids."

The walk back home is much less eventful than the walk to the park; they're always so energetic on the way out, Jjanggu nearly running over his feet in his excitement and Jongin has to be extra careful or he'll end up in oncoming traffic. All three of his pets are easy to handle on the way home, which Jongin appreciates because he's getting tired, too. A warm shower sounds nice, and maybe he can catch up on the newest episode of that anime he likes before bed--

A sudden whining sound interrupts his thoughts. It sounds like a dog, but it's not any of his own; Jongin could probably tell their barks apart even if he was deaf. He glances around, but there isn't anyone close enough with a dog for it to have been from their pets, and Jongin briefly wonders if he imagined it. Only as he continues on down the sidewalk, the sound gets louder, until Jongin is slowing down even more so he can peer in every possible nook or cranny along the street for the source.

He finds the spot soon enough; an alley a few feet away tucked between two buildings. As Jongin approaches, the whimpering noise is at its loudest, and in the darkness Jongin catches sight of a furry tail. He's surprised he could even hear it above the incessant rush of the Manhattan streets. If Sehun were here, he'd probably call Jongin a dog whisperer again.

His own puppies are getting in the way as Jongin creeps into the alley and he has to repeatedly shush them to get them to behave. He doesn't want to scare the dog that's hiding somewhere behind some old boxes and trashcans, so he whistles lowly to get its attention. It takes a moment, but then a beautiful golden retriever peers its head around the trash and Jongin grins widely at it.

“Hey,” he says softly, trying not to scare it or excite it too much. “Come here, buddy.”

He wishes he’d brought some more treats with him, instead just holds out his hand and waits for the dog to come to him. It looks like a fully grown retriever and with the way it looks mostly unruffled, it hasn’t been stuck out here for too long. Jongin’s own puppies are standing still by his feet, intrigued by the appearance of the retriever, and Jjanggah is half-hiding behind Jongin’s legs when it finally approaches. Jongin pets the retriever’s head carefully and grins wider when the dog happily accepts the attention, barking appreciatively and jumping a bit on its legs. That startles Jongin’s dogs, and it takes a few minutes for Jongin to get all four of the dogs around him settled down.

Jongin stares at the retriever and then glances back out at the street. There doesn’t seem like anyone frantically searching for a lost pet out there and Jongin can’t just leave him out here. He sighs, squats down to look the retriever in the face and rubs at its fur with his hands. He almost falls on his ass as the dog tries to lick up his cheek.

“Okay, you’ve convinced me,” he says. “I’ll take you home.”

He reaches down, feeling for a collar, and peers at the tag clasped at the front. There’s no address or phone number, which makes him frown. What kind of pet owner doesn’t put an emergency contact on his pet’s tag?

There _is_ , however, a name, and Jongin reads it over a few times, then looks back up at the retriever's face. Jjanggu is trying to drag Jongin away again, so Jongin gets to his feet, pulls lightly at Jjanggu’s leash to calm him, and then pets the retriever’s head.

“Okay, Chanyeol,” he says. “Let’s go.”

-

“So, what? You just decided to keep it?” Sehun says, staring at Jongin incredulously.

“I couldn’t just _leave_ him out there,” Jongin insists, nodding as if to make his point, and pops a few pieces of French fries into his mouth.

“Of course not,” Zitao says placatingly from beside him. He pats Jongin’s shoulder. “Just like the time you rescued a bird that had broken its wing.”

“Or the time you brought home a cardboard box with three rabbits inside,” Sehun adds.

“Not to mention the cat that tried to claw your face off--”

“Okay, okay!” Jongin exclaims, holding his hands up in defense even as he starts to laugh. His friends look at him in amusement and Jongin shrugs a little helplessly. “You guys already know I’m a bleeding heart, you don’t need to remind me every time we hang out.”

“You make it really easy,” Zitao says, smirking. “Besides, it’s been a few months since you last played savior, so I guess it’s about time you found some poor, hopeless animal in the streets.”

“You make it sound like I go looking for them on my own,” Jongin grumbles.

“Don’t you?” Sehun asks, completely serious, and Jongin throws his balled-up, ketchup-stained napkin at him. Sehun yelps loudly, drawing the attention of half of the McDonald’s customers, and jerks away, so that the napkin falls to the floor instead of his lap. He glares at Jongin then, who just grins and takes a bite of his burger. “How do you know the dog doesn’t have like, rabies or something?”

Zitao sighs exasperatedly in Jongin’s stead. He just rolls his eyes and says, pointedly, “I am a vet, remember?”

Sehun shrugs like Jongin’s livelihood is really none of his concern. “Well, don’t complain if it ends up biting you or something.”

“That’s not--I--” Jongin starts but fails to find the words to express how ridiculous Sehun is, so instead he just shakes his head, sharing a commiserating look with Zitao.

“I hope you can find his actual owner soon,” Zitao says after a moment.

“Me, too,” Jongin says with a smile, thinking back to the retriever waiting at home for him with his poodles and wondering just how in the hell he’s going to be able to do that.

-

He’s had Chanyeol for nearly two weeks when it starts to become obvious that Jongin can’t take care of four dogs, and especially not one as excitable as the retriever. His own poodles have been with him for years so they’re easier to manage, but Jongin doesn’t know anything about where Chanyeol came from or how to properly keep him under control. Jongin has always been good with animals, but it’s proving to be more difficult than he thought, just bringing the lost retriever home like he was already one of Jongin’s own.

His apartment isn’t really big enough for such a large dog, either, and trying to feed three pets was hard enough. It’s clear that Jongin needs to figure out a solution, either find Chanyeol’s owner or give him away. The latter option doesn’t sound very good, but Jongin hasn’t the first clue how to get in contact with someone whose name he doesn’t even know.

“Can’t you tell me where you live?” Jongin asks Chanyeol one evening when he’s taking the dogs out on a walk. The retriever just barks unhelpfully at him and Jongin sighs, ruffling at Chanyeol’s face lightly before letting him go. He’s checked Chanyeol’s collar more than once since he brought him back in case he missed an address scribbled down somewhere, but there’s nothing.

It’s two days after that when Jongin’s luck turns right around. He’s finished a surgery on a client’s cat and is ready to get some dinner for him and Taemin when his client, Soojung, stops at the door, her cat in her arms and says, “Hey, this poster.”

Jongin looks up from the papers he’s checking over at the front desk and she’s pointing at the small bulletin board by the door. Specifically, she’s pointing at the sheet of paper Jongin had printed out with a picture of Chanyeol on it, asking if anyone knew this dog, or its owner. “Do you know anything about it?” he asks excitedly, rushing around the counter.

“Yeah, I’m pretty sure the guy lives in my apartment building,” Soojung says. She tilts her head at the flier, eyes narrowed as she assesses it carefully. “Does he have a little scar by his right eye?”

“He does,” Jongin says, nodding enthusiastically. He’d seen it after bringing Chanyeol home that night and giving him a quick bath.

Soojung gives him a slight look that has Jongin immediately calming down, taking a step back apologetically. She smiles ruefully at him though and stoops down to carefully put her cat into its carrier as it starts to try to climb out of her arms. “I don’t actually know him or anything,” she says, “but I can ask my super and find out. I know the owner’s been looking for his dog; there’s a flier up in our apartment building, too.”

“That would be great,” Jongin says. “I really appreciate it.”

She shrugs lightly like it’s no big deal and heads out after Jongin gives her his email to let him know what she finds out.

Jongin goes home later that night and gives Chanyeol a little extra attention, petting him happily as he says, “I think I’ve found your home. Aren’t you happy?”

The retriever barks at him loudly and Jongin laughs, reaching for one of the chew toys on the floor and tossing it across the room. As all his puppies fight over it, Jongin can’t help but be a little sad to see Chanyeol have to go.

-

Jongin takes the elevator up to the fourth floor of the apartment building Soojung had emailed him the address to earlier that day. It’s early Friday morning and Jongin hopes the guy is at home so Jongin can drop off Chanyeol and head into work and not be too late.

Except the retriever's name is _not_ Chanyeol. Jongin was confused by Soojung’s message, listing the name and apartment number of one Chanyeol Park, the owner of the dog-Chanyeol that Jongin had found in the alley. He’s still confused, honestly, but the dog-Chanyeol seems excited by the familiar halls of the apartment and practically drags Jongin down to number 413.

Jongin stares at the door for a long second, then down at dog-Chanyeol, and then at his phone, where he has the email still up. He’s at the right place, but he’s a little lost. “What kind of idiot names their dog after themselves?” he questions aloud and not for the first time that morning, only to jump back in surprise when the door in front of him suddenly swings open.

Instantly, the retriever at Jongin’s feet starts barking, bouncing up on its feet and launching itself at who is clearly his owner. The man on the other side of the door lets out an equally loud shout of happiness, dropping to his knees, the keys in his hands hitting the floor with a clatter and the bag on his shoulder slipping down to hang at his elbow. His smile is wide and his laugh infectious; Jongin is grinning at the sight of the reunion, and when the man finally looks up at him, his throat feels suddenly a little dry.

Shit, he thinks, he’s an idiot, but a hot idiot. “Uh, hi,” Jongin says awkwardly, trying not to stare too obviously at the guy’s admittedly handsome face. “I’m sorry for just showing up here, but I--”

“You found Nacho!” the man says excitedly. “I can’t believe it, I thought I was never going to see him again.”

“His name is Nacho?” Jongin says, incredulous. “Then why does his tag say _Chanyeol_?!” He peers at his phone again before shoving it into the back pocket of his jeans. “That’s _your_ name?”

“Yeah,” the man-- _Chanyeol_ \--says, as he stands up and wipes his hands on the front of his form-fitting jeans. He’s taller than Jongin by a good few inches, and he really is handsome, Jongin thinks weakly as Chanyeol holds out his right. “I’m Chanyeol Park, it’s nice to meet you…”

“Jongin,” Jongin says quickly, shaking his hand with a slight nod and feeling inexplicably flustered by the way Chanyeol is smiling at him. He has a nice smile, Jongin thinks, if a little too wide. “I-I’m glad that you were home, I didn’t have your number so I couldn’t call and--”

“Wait, then you didn’t see my poster, did you?” Chanyeol says, his brows furrowing cutely in confusion. “How did you find me?”

Jongin laughs, rubs the back of his neck. “It’s a long story?” he says uncertainly, but when Chanyeol stares at him with expectancy, Jongin sighs and tells him everything.

“Oh, well that’s not so bad,” he says afterward, grinning. “I was thinking you were like stalking me or something.” He gives Jongin a slow once-over and his grin widens as his eyes settle back on his face. “You’re a little too cute to be a stalker, though.”

Heat flares up Jongin’s neck and across his cheeks. He laughs again, nervously, and takes a half a step back. “Well, uh, I just wanted to come bring Chan--I mean, Nacho--back, so I guess I’ll just--”

“Wait, hey!” Chanyeol says, reaching out to grab Jongin’s wrist and stop him before Jongin gets too far. Jongin stops, turning back to him, and Chanyeol sheepishly lets go of him, pushing aside his dark bangs from his face. “Sorry, I just didn’t get a chance to actually thank you.” He looks down at Nacho at his side, patting his head and smiling. “I really thought I’d lost him.”

Jongin shakes his head quickly. “No, it’s okay,” he says. “I couldn’t leave him when I found him and he wasn’t much of a trouble.”

“Really?” Chanyeol says, intrigued. “My roommate says he’s a nuisance, but then again, my roommate would probably find a pet rock offensive.”

“Really,” Jongin insists, and he’s finally starting to feel less anxious with the way Chanyeol stares down at him warmly, clear gratitude in his eyes. He smiles back at him before crouching down to give Chan--Nacho a quick ruffle. It’s going to take awhile to remember that Chanyeol is actually the man and not the dog. “You should really get a new tag for Nacho. Who puts their own name on their pet’s tag?”

“You’re not supposed to?” Chanyeol says, eyes wide, and Jongin lets out one of his loud laughs, the high-pitched one that Sehun always makes fun of him about, but he can’t help it, standing back up and hiding his mouth behind a hand. Chanyeol’s expression has lost its surprise from before, instead he’s staring at Jongin almost thoughtfully, and Jongin is not sure what to make of that.

“Are you a new pet owner?” Jongin says and when Chanyeol nods, Jongin smiles a little wider. “Well, a little tip: put your _pet’s_ name on the front and your address on the back of the tag. That way, if Nacho gets lost again, whoever finds him can bring him back to you quickly.”

“Good to know,” Chanyeol says. “Thanks again, for everything.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Jongin replies. “I should go, or I’ll be late for work. It was nice meeting you.”

“You, too,” Chanyeol says and he pats at Nacho’s head and adds, “Say goodbye to your savior, buddy,” and Jongin can’t help but chuckle, amused and a little endeared.

That’s a frightening reaction to have, really, so Jongin waves quickly and darts back down the hall to the elevator before Chanyeol can stop him again or something. He heads to work that morning feeling a little distracted, Chanyeol’s smile bright in his head, and the low sound of his voice warm in his chest.

-

“If he was so hot, why didn’t you ask for his number?” Taemin asks later that day, after Jongin told him about returning Nacho to his owner.

“Because that wouldn’t have been weird at all!” Jongin exclaims, flushing at the very thought. “I had no reason to do that.”

“You remember you’re a vet, right?” Taemin says and Jongin stares at him, not sure what he’s getting at. “You could’ve given him _your_ card with your number and told him to come by whenever if his dog had problems.” When Jongin blinks back, Taemin rolls his eyes and adds, “You could’ve tricked him into paying you back with like a lunch or something for taking care of his dog for two weeks!”

Jongin opens his mouth to speak, but nothing comes out. Taemin’s suggestions make sense now, but Jongin probably couldn’t have actually done either of them in the moment had he even thought of them.

“Yeah, yeah, I know,” Taemin says, like he can read Jongin’s mind. “You have no game.”

“Hey! That’s not--”

“You can talk to animals but not to people, Jongin, you know it’s true,” Taemin says bluntly, and Jongin tries to glare at him, but he’s pretty sure he’s only successfully pouting because Taemin laughs in his face. “Don’t worry,” he says, patting Jongin’s shoulder. “It’s kind of endearing, in a sad, pathetic, I’ll be forever alone with my three puppies sort of way.”

“Fuck off,” Jongin says, shoving his hand off his shoulder but ending up laughing despite himself.

Taemin smirks, amused. “Well, you never know, maybe you’ll run into him again somewhere.”

Jongin snorts. Sure, Chanyeol was good looking, but that doesn’t mean Jongin really _wants_ to see him again or anything. The fact that Jongin still hasn’t been able to get his smile out of his mind means completely nothing. Besides, this is New York City. What are the chances of him ever coming across Chanyeol again?

-

Apparently the world is a lot smaller than Jongin thought. He definitely doesn’t expect to run into Chanyeol in Central Park of all places, which is full of people on the weekends. But there he is, rushing towards Jongin with a clearly excited Nacho in front of him, who jumps up at Jongin’s feet when he gets close. His own puppies are happy to see Nacho again, too, and the sudden barking all around has Jongin laughing a little even as he tries to calm his kids down.

“Nacho, calm down,” Chanyeol pants, skidding to a stop and tugging lightly at his leash to get his dog to relax. “What’s gotten into you?” He gives his dog a confused look before realizing that Jongin is standing in front of him, and his eyes go wide. “Hey, you’re the one who found Nacho, didn’t you? Jongin, right?”

There’s no reason for Jongin to be pleased that Chanyeol remembers his name, and yet, he is. He nods quickly and says, “That would be me. Is Nacho taking you on a walk, too?”

Chanyeol laughs. “He’s usually not so bad, but he started dragging me this way like he knew where he wanted to go.”

“Ah,” Jongin says, “that might be because I usually take this route when I bring my kids out for a walk. Maybe Nacho remembered from when I was looking after him?”

“Your kids--” Chanyeol starts, then looks down at his feet and grins widely at Jongin’s three poodles. “Wow, all three of these are yours?”

“Yeah,” Jongin says, crouching down so he’s level with his puppies and giving each of them a pet. Jjangu is lying on his stomach on the ground, looking completely done with life, and Jongin’s pretty sure he’s going to have to carry him all the way back home. He gives Chanyeol a quick introduction of his pets and Monggu and Jjanggah happily lick at his fingers and yip.

Chanyeol looks completely enamoured by all three of them, squatting as well to get closer. “They’re adorable,” he says. “You didn’t mention you had any pets when we met, the other day. I’m glad Nacho ended up in your capable hands.”

“It was nothing,” Jongin waves off.

“Is that why you dragged me over here, huh, Nacho?” Chanyeol asks, turning to stare at him. “You wanted to see your friends again?”

Nacho barks loudly and ends up nudging his way into Jongin’s arms, licking at his face. Jongin laughs, easily falling back onto his butt on the ground and taking Nacho’s face gently in his hands, ruffling his fur.

“Or I guess he just missed you,” Chanyeol says, looking at Jongin, who catches his soft gaze and blushes against his will.

“Well, I missed him, too,” Jongin says, glancing away quickly. “My apartment was feeling a little emptier after I brought him back.” He grins at Nacho then and adds, “But I bet you’re happy to be home, right?”

Nacho barks in response and Jongin laughs, petting him a little more until his own puppies get jealous and jump around him, wanting attention, too. “Calm down, kids,” he chides, “no need to get angry, okay? You know I love you.”

Jjanggah yips at him and climbs up into his lap to settle there and Jongin smiles down at her, straightens out the pink sweater he’d put on where it’s gotten all rumpled up. “Pets can be a handful, can’t they?” he says, looking up at Chanyeol, smile widening, and he his breath seems to catch in his throat because Chanyeol is staring straight at him, eyes bright under the snapback he’s wearing and his plush lips curved into a smile that is almost fond. Jongin swallows thickly and it’s so stupid that his heart is beating so fast so suddenly.

He’s thankful when Chanyeol turns his attention toward his own dog, nodding as he says, “Yeah, they really are.” It takes Jongin a moment to even remember what they’re talking about. “I can barely take care of Nacho, and you have _three_ puppies. You must work some magic.”

“My friend calls me the dog whisperer,” Jongin says with an awkward laugh.

Chanyeol grins at him. “Well, maybe that’s why Nacho was so glad to see you today,” he says, patting Nacho’s head. Jongin opens his mouth to insist that he’s really not, that Sehun is just stupid about the whole whisperer thing, when Chanyeol stands suddenly and pulls lightly at the leash in his hand. “I should go,” he says and Jongin jumps up to his feet, too, smoothing back his bangs that keep flying into his face from the wind. “I still need to take this guy on a walk and I’m meeting my roommate later for lunch, so--”

“R-Right, of course,” Jongin says, waving a hand in the air dismissively and trying valiantly not to blurt out that Chanyeol could join Jongin and his puppies on a walk, if he wanted. “It was, uh, nice seeing you again.”

“You, too, Jongin,” Chanyeol says brightly. “Maybe we’ll run into each other again here.”

“Yeah, maybe,” Jongin says with a slight shrug like he doesn’t care if they do, when he’s starting to think that that would be really nice. Chanyeol grins at him and heads off with Nacho, glancing over his shoulder and waving back, only to practically trip over his feet in the process. Nacho barks as Chanyeol stumbles, his face pinking in embarrassment, and Jongin hides a laugh behind his mouth, endeared against his will.

Fuck, he thinks, watching him go. This is not good.

-

Jongin knows better than to be interested in some guy he doesn't even know, but it's like he can't get Chanyeol out of his head. There's no point to any of it anyway, not when Jongin doesn't know how to get in contact with him, and even if he knows where Chanyeol lives, Jongin draws the line at becoming an actual stalker.

"Jongin, if you want to fuck someone so badly, you are more than welcome to come home with me right now," Baekhyun says, leering at Jongin across the table as they get a late dinner before Jongin has to head back into work.

Jongin, who had slumped his head onto the table in embarrassment and despair after telling Baekhyun and Sehun about running into Chanyeol again, says, "No, thanks," as vehemently as he can.

"No one wants to go home with you Baekhyun," Sehun says. "Or fuck you for that matter. Gross."

"Yeah, because you're such a catch yourself," Baekhyun scoffs.

"A least I'm not a midget," Sehun returns easily, and Jongin can hear them squabbling, Sehun screeching in horror as he seems to drop his phone when Baekhyun attacks him. He's about to sit back up and tell them to behave when a very familiar voice says, "Hello, what can I get for you guys today?"

Jongin shoots up in his seat, eyes wide as he turns and finds Chanyeol standing beside their table, black apron tied around his waist and looking so nice in a white button down that's rolled up to this elbows. Chanyeol's expression shifts into surprise when he sees him, but then he grins, pointing the pen in his hand at him.

"Fancy seeing you here," he says, his low voice like music to Jongin's ears. It's been a few days since Jongin met him at the park and it's really dumb how much Jongin has missed it. "Are you sure you're not stalking me?" He smirks at Jongin, tilting his head to the side as if assessing him, and Jongin snorts, even as a blush climbs up his neck.

"That suggests I think you're worth stalking and I'm not so sure about that."

"Ouch," Chanyeol says, placing a hand over his heart and pretending to be wounded. "And here I was hoping this cute guy was into me.”

That's the second time Chanyeol has called Jongin cute and if he does it again, Jongin might not be able to handle it. He can feel Sehun and Baekhyun staring at him curiously, and he clears his throat and glances back at his menu, even though he knows what he wants. "So, uh, can we order?" he says, switching topics, and Chanyeol seems to remember that he’s working, straightening quickly and nodding.

"Of course," he says, "go ahead."

When he leaves a few minutes later to place their orders, Jongin groans, covering his face and feeling the prickling of shame under his skin. He only drops his hands when someone - probably Sehun - kicks him under the table.

"What the fuck was that?" Sehun demands.

"Nothing," Jongin says instantly, but of course neither of them buy it. Jongin doesn't even believe himself. He sighs, shoulders slumping, and says, "That's him. Chanyeol."

" _What_ ," Baekhyun says and he's turning around in his seat to look down the restaurant where Chanyeol is talking with a couple at another table. He ignores Jongin's hiss of _stop staring_ , and lets out a low whistle. "You weren’t exaggerating, then. He is pretty hot.”

“You aren’t stalking him, are you?” Sehun says and Jongin glares at him.

“Of course not! I had no idea he worked here,” Jongin says.

“He seems to like you well enough,” Baekhyun says, finally sliding back into his seat properly. “He even called you cute.”

“That doesn’t mean anything.”

“It _could_ , if you had the balls to ask him out like you want to,” Sehun says. “Now’s your chance!”

Jongin wants to angrily refute that he doesn’t want to ask Chanyeol out, but it’s a lie, and they all know it. Jongin mostly thinks he wouldn’t mind getting to know Chanyeol a little more, but Jongin is really bad at this sort of thing and if Chanyeol thinks he’s a stalker now, based on their pure coincidental meetings, what will he think if Jongin actually asked him out?

As if reading his mind, Baekhyun says, “Well if you’re not gonna do it, I’ll just ask him out myself.” He’s eyeing Chanyeol again as he passes by their table to help someone who has just walked through the door. 

“He’s all yours,” Jongin says like he doesn’t care, even as he frowns at his phone and ignores the exasperated sigh from Sehun. Baekhyun is unsuccessfully trying to hide his laughter into Sehun’s shoulder.

That’s how Chanyeol finds them a few minutes later, holding a tray with their dishes and looking amused. He addresses Jongin by name when he slides over his plate, which makes Baekhyun smirk at him from across the table. A second later, before Jongin can stop him, he’s leaning over the table and asking, “Sooo, how do you know Jongin? I didn’t think he had any other friends beside us.”

“Oh, uh,” Chanyeol says, looking a little surprised by the question. He sets Sehun’s plate down and then tucks the large tray under his arm. “We’re not really friends.” Jongin is oddly disappointed, even though it’s true. “He just rescued my lost dog awhile ago.”

“How is Nacho by the way?” Jongin jumps in to ask before Baekhyun can say anything else to further humiliate him.

“He’s good,” Chanyeol says. “Probably bored at home while I’m at work, but I get off in an hour.” He looks at Jongin almost expectantly, and Jongin blinks back, surprised by the intensity in his gaze, and he’s not sure, exactly, if he’s reading Chanyeol right or not. He doesn’t want to make a complete fool of himself though, especially not in front of Sehun and Baekhyun, who will never let him live it down, and just grins up at Chanyeol, busying himself with unwrapping his utensils from the napkin.

“That’s good, then! I always miss my puppies while I’m working.”

Chanyeol nods, chuckling lowly under his breath, and Jongin feels like he can breath again when his gaze shifts towards Baekhyun and Sehun. “Well, enjoy your dinner. Let me know if you need anything.”

The second he’s out of earshot, Baekhyun kicks Jongin under the table and Sehun shakes his head at him. “Fuck, you are so hopeless,” he says, sounding almost regretful about it, and Jongin figures it’s best not to say anything at all, when he knows it’s the truth.

He catches sight of Chanyeol across the room and wonders if he just lost his only chance.

-

It's been a very long, tiring Friday night, with nearly back to back appointments and little rest in between. Not to mention Jongin had to deal with Junmyeon’s ugly crying face when he came in with his large tabby for her scheduled surgery. His tears of happiness after the successful operation were just as hideous, but Jongin always likes seeing his clients happy when they leave, instead of more worried than when they come in.

He’s glad when he can say goodbye to the last client of the day, patting the cute pomeranian puppy on the head before waving goodbye. Taemin is practically passed out on the front counter and Yixing works around him as he organizes their files and inputs information into their schedules for tomorrow on the computer. Jongin stretches his arms over his head, yawning, and is just about to suggest getting something to eat when the door opens behind him and someone stumbles in.

“We’re closed--Chanyeol?” Jongin exclaims, turning around to find the other man standing by the door, eyes wide and frantic. Nacho is at his heels, strapped to a blue leash, and Jongin can instantly tell that something is off, his usually excitable demeanor much more subdued. “What’s wrong?” he asks, walking up to them and crouching down in front of Nacho.

“You work here?” Chanyeol says, his surprise at finding Jongin now seeming to outweigh his earlier panic. “You’re a vet?”

“Yes,” Jongin says, smiling up at Chanyeol for a short second. “And I’m guessing you’re in need of one, so tell me what’s wrong with Nacho and I can help.” He can feel Taemin boring holes into his back with how intensely he’s staring; there’s no doubt he’s put it together, that this is the guy Jongin has been talking about for days, unable to get him out of his head.

“I-I don’t know what’s wrong,” Chanyeol says, worry laced in every word. “He’s been a little weird lately, always pawing at his ears a lot, but today I found some weird stuff around his ears and every time i tried to reach out to pet him he’d try to get away.”

Jongin hums under his breath, checking over Nacho with his eyes first before carefully reaching out to touch him. Nacho makes a sort of pitiful whine and turns away, but Jongin quietly shushes him and is able to eventually coax him close enough that Jongin can check on his ears. Beside him, Chanyeol breathes, sounding almost awed, “You really are a dog whisperer, aren’t you?”

Taemin snorts loudly from across the room and Jongin’s pretty sure he even hears Yixing laugh, that traitor. Jongin shakes his head and says, “I’m just a vet, this is my job.” There’re definitely some thick red spots around one of Nacho’s ears and Jongin gives him a gentle pat on the head before standing back up. “I’m pretty sure I know what the problem is.”

“Is he okay? It’s not some kind of deadly disease, is it?” Chanyeol exclaims and Jongin quickly shakes his head, waves his hands in front of him.

“No, no,” he says. “I think it’s just an ear infection.” He smiles at Chanyeol to soften the news, reassure him that it’s really not that bad, and then adds, “Come on, why don’t we go to my office and I can look Nacho over properly?”

Chanyeol nods eagerly and Jongin gestures down the hall and follows behind him, flipping Taemin the bird as he passes for the smug look on his face. Yixing looks amused behind them, but offers to help if Jongin needs it, and Jongin thanks him before letting Chanyeol and Nacho into the room. It’s not too difficult to check Nacho over and confirm that he does, in fact, have an ear infection. “It’s good that you came in,” Jongin says, “it doesn’t seem to be too severe, so I’ll prescribe some medicine for him and you just have to make sure he takes it regularly to clear up the infection.”

“That’s it?” Chanyeol says weakly. He’s sitting in a chair, fingers clenched at his knees and staring worriedly at Nacho.

“That’s it,” Jongin confirms with a nod. He pulls out his prescription pad from the pocket of his lab coat and scribbles down the name of a medicine for Chanyeol. He rips off the sheet and hands it over. “This should do it.”

Chanyeol stares down at the paper for a long moment before he sighs, and Jongin can see all the tension leaving his shoulders. “Thank you,” he says earnestly when he looks back up, and Jongin feels a little winded by the look on his face.

He’s not really sure how to reply so he stays silent instead, watches as Chanyeol pulls Nacho into his arms, even though he’s much too big, and then carefully sets him down on the floor. “Come on, buddy, let's get you home,” he says and Jongin follows him out to make sure Chanyeol fills out the paperwork up front before he leaves.

It’s thankfully just Yixing up there now, and he’s tactful enough not to ask probing questions, just coos over Nacho as Chanyeol fils out the form. Chanyeol thanks him afterward and Jongin walks him to the door and says, “If you have any questions or if his condition gets worse, just come back in or give me a call, okay?”

“Yeah, yeah of course,” Chanyeol says with a nod. “Thanks, Jongin.”

Jongin just smiles and waves at him dismissively. “Have a good night.”

Chanyeol stares at him for a long moment before he nods again and then walks out into the street, Nacho trailing after him. Jongin sighs, running a hand through his hair and feeling his own tension melting away now that he’s gone. He definitely wasn’t expecting to see Chanyeol today or, well, ever again, even if the world seems to be doing its best to draw them together again and again. The worry on Chanyeol’s face over Nacho, the relief when Jongin told him everything would be okay, it runs over and over in his mind as he heads back to get his things and go home. Yixing is gone now as well it seems, and Jongin checks around the counter to make sure everything is put away when the door to the clinic opens again as suddenly as before and, just like before, it’s Chanyeol who comes rushing back in.

“Oh, you’re still here, good,” Chanyeol says breathlessly, and Jongin blinks at him, confused.

“Did something happen with Nacho already?”

“What--No. No--that’s, that’s not why I came back,” Chanyeol says, shaking his head. “I wanted to ask you something.”

Jongin is definitely confused. “Um, okay?”

“I was freaking out about Nacho all week and earlier, when I brought him in, I thought it was something awful and I don't know--seeing you here, somehow it really calmed me down,” Chanyeol says. “Maybe it’s because you saved him once already or something, but I’m glad that it was you.”

Jongin’s mouth opens in surprise, no words coming out once again because he’s at a loss for what to say. His chest feels hot and he’s not sure where Chanyeol is going with this at all.

“Anyway, I just, I wanted to ask if you were maybe free tomorrow sometime,” he says and Jongin is amazed to see that Chanyeol is blushing, just a little, even though his words are steady and confident. “I’d like to take you out for lunch or coffee, whatever you prefer.”

Jongin is pretty sure he’s gaping now because this--this is what Jongin hoped might happen, hoped he, himself, would’ve had the courage to do. He didn’t expect Chanyeol to ever be interested, and yet, here he is. He even _came back_ to ask him in person and Jongin is both anxious and really fucking happy.

He licks his lips, considering, and then walks out from around the counter and asks Nacho, “What do you think?”

Nacho takes one look at him and barks, loudly, and Jongin laughs, turning to Chanyeol, who is staring at him with a mixture of bemusement and something almost fond. “Lunch would be great,” Jongin says finally.

It takes a second, but then Chanyeol is grinning widely, the happy, contagious smile that Jongin remembers from when he’d first brought Nacho back to him. “Good. Good,” he says, and then suddenly fumbles through his pocket to pull out his phone. “Give me your number?”

Jongin types his in and then calls his phone from Chanyeol’s so he can save Chanyeol's number, too. Handing the phone back, he says, “So, I guess I’ll see you tomorrow then?”

“Yeah,” Chanyeol says, a slight smirk to his lips. “Yeah, you will.”

-

Jongin’s last attempts at a relationship haven’t gone very well. There was Jongdae, a friend of Baekhyun’s, who was cute, affectionate and seemed nice enough until Jongin found out he wasn’t a current coworker of Baekhyun’s like he’d assumed when Baekhyun set them up. Instead Jongdae and was an old friend from when Baekhyun’s took up a job in porn right after college to help pay off some loans. Jongin didn’t really think that was much of a problem, but the secrets and the eagerness to film Jongin when they fucked was just a little too much. Later, there was Jinri; an old classmate from NYU who Jongin ran into again at a cafe, and she’d always been so pretty, had such a nice smile. They’d gone out for dinner and Jongin found out she was allergic to dogs and that whole relationship pretty much ended right there.

So to say he’s nervous when he goes to meet Chanyeol that Saturday for lunch is an understatement. He knows he shouldn’t get ahead of himself; they’re not friends, they barely know each other, and after going over everything Chanyeol had said the night before in his head about two hundred times, Jongin’s pretty sure Chanyeol is only asking him out as a sort of repayment for his help with Nacho. It’s a little disappointing, that realization, but Jongin figures this is better than nothing. Maybe everything will go terribly and then he can finally put Chanyeol out of his mind for good.

Of course, it doesn’t end up that way at all. If anything, Jongin finds himself more interested than ever before.

Chanyeol is waiting for him at a small bistro a few blocks from the clinic, grinning wide when he sees him and looking wonderfully dressed in skinny black jeans and a soft pullover sweater. He seems excited that Jongin showed up, like he actually doubted that he would, like he really wanted him to come. It sparks a little hope in Jongin’s chest and he smiles warmly at Chanyeol before they head indoors to find a table.

“It’s nice to meet on our own terms instead of constantly running into each other,” Chanyeol says after they’ve ordered, settling back in his seat and looking easily comfortable.

Jongin is still nervous, but he’s glad already that Chanyeol has jumped right into conversation so Jongin doesn’t have to flounder over something to say. “The world is clearly much smaller than I thought,” Jongin says.

“Tell me about it,” Chanyeol laughs, shaking his head, his dark hair falling into his face and he brushes it away in the next second.

“Is Nacho doing better today?” Jongin asks.

“Yeah, I picked up his medication this morning and so far so good,” Chanyeol says with a short sigh. “I almost didn't want to leave him at home, but my roommate said he’d watch over in case anything happens.”

“Next time we should meet somewhere we can bring our pets, then.”

Chanyeol raises a brow. “Next time?”

Heat fills Jongin’s cheeks, but he doesn’t look away. The words slipped out, but he meant them, and he says, “Yeah. Next time.”

If Chanyeol is surprised by Jongin’s boldness, it doesn’t show on his face. Instead he looks more amused, smirking slightly in return and leaning forward, resting his elbows on the table. “That would be nice,” he says after a moment and Jongin inwardly breathes a sigh of relief. “Nacho doesn’t have many friends to play with. I’m guessing your pets don’t have that problem.”

Laughing, Jongin shakes his head. “Yeah, they have fun together. It drives me crazy sometimes, but I love them.”

“How long have you had them?” Chanyeol asks and from there it’s so easy to fall into discussion about their pets. Jongin tells Chanyeol about his poodles, complaining about how Jjanggu starts to cry whenever he tries to take him out for a walk, and Chanyeol returns with all the troubles he had with Nacho when he first got him just over a year ago. Jongin likes how they seem to fall into each other, Chanyeol just as enthusiastic about his puppy as Jongin is, and never minding when Jongin gets too caught up in a story.

It’s not even that they spend the entire time talking about their pets; Chanyeol asks about work and Jongin tells him he’s always wanted to be a vet, ever since he was a kid, and the days are long but he’d never give it up for anything. He learns that Chanyeol is a part-time waiter and full-time web developer for Blue Fountain, and likes to spend most of his free time annoying his roommate by playing the guitar and playing with Nacho. Jongin learns that Chanyeol gets louder the more excited he is, his expressions twisting almost cutely when he laughs, and he has a really nice smile that lights up his whole face.

He should probably be worried by how warm and comfortable being with Chanyeol feels because Jongin doesn’t know if this is a date, doesn’t know if they will ever meet up again, no matter what they say, and doesn’t know if Chanyeol is even into men. There’s no use getting so, well, _smitten_ , not that Jongin will ever admit that he is, but he can’t help it that this is the quickest he’s ever gotten along with someone he doesn’t know.

By the time they head out after lunch, Jongin is in an incredibly good mood and all the nervousness he’d felt going in has long since faded away by Chanyeol’s bright eyes and laughter. It’s a cool October afternoon and the streets are busy as usual as they head down the sidewalk to the nearest station; Jongin has to get back to work and he almost wishes he didn’t have to in the off chance that they could spend a little more time together.

“I’m glad you met me today,” Chanyeol says before they part ways. “After everything you did for Nacho, I really wanted to make it up to you.”

Jongin’s stomach sinks to his knees at those words. “Oh, so that is what this was all about,” he says quietly, almost to himself, except Chanyeol hears it.

He gently grabs Jongin’s elbow to stop him from walking and shakes his head quickly when Jongin looks up at him. “That’s not what I meant,” Chanyeol says, something like panic in his eyes, like he desperately doesn’t want Jongin to get the wrong idea. “Yes, I wanted to thank you for all your help, but, well. I had a really good time with you today and I hope I’m not reading this wrong, but I think you did, too.”

That pulls a chuckle out of Jongin. “I did,” he agrees and Chanyeol’s relieved smile is enough to push away the earlier unease. He licks his lips and adds, “So, then next time, I can pick where we go?”

Chanyeol laughs, and even in the incessant noise of the city, it’s all Jongin hears, filling him up completely. “Sure, Jongin,” he says. “Whatever you want.”

-

“When do I get to really meet this guy? Since he’s practically stolen you away.”

“He has not,” Jongin says, even as he texts Chanyeol on his phone as Taemin loudly cooks something in the kitchen. “And you’re definitely _never_ meeting him if I can help it.”

“Hey, as your best friend, it’s my duty to make sure you’re not hooking up with some creep,” Taemin says.

“We’re not hooking up!” Jongin says and he sounds defensive even to his own ears. “We’ve only gone out three times.”

“And you spend the rest of your time texting him and waiting for when he texts you back,” Taemin retorts, peering around the corner to point a spatula at Jongin’s face. “Don’t think I don’t know what you’re doing.”

Jongin tucks his phone just under his butt and pretends to look innocent, picking up Jjangah who is lying by his feet up into his lap. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he says, and Taemin rolls his eyes so hard Jongin’s worried they’re going to fall out of his head.

“You’re ridiculous,” he grumbles before turning back into the kitchen. “Just admit you’re into the guy and be done with it.”

“We’re just friends,” Jongin insists, and it’s true. Jongin doesn’t know if they’re dating, honestly. He likes Chanyeol and he wouldn’t mind dating him, but they’ve met up two more times since their lunch nearly two weeks ago and it mostly feels like they’re just friends hanging out. They do text a lot, though, after Jongin had taken the initiative and sent Chanyeol a picture of Monggu, and they talk about practically anything and everything. It’s so easy to talk to him; Chanyeol is a good listener and never minds Jongin’s lame jokes or how passionate he gets when talking about his favorite Higashino Keigo books. He has _The Devotion of Suspect X_ out on his bedside table to remember to bring with him tomorrow when he meets Chanyeol for dinner.

“We’re friends and you never text me that much.”

“That’s because you like to send me pictures of sad, wounded animals just to fuck with me.”

“I do enjoy seeing you cry,” Taemin admits and Jongin narrows his eyes in his direction, even though Taemin can’t see him.

“I’m replacing you with Chanyeol,” Jongin announces, jumping slightly as his phone vibrates behind him. He smiles down at Chanyeol’s message, a picture of the kimchi spaghetti his roommate made and an invitation: _You should come over sometime. I’ll make Kyungsoo make it for us so you can try!_

_You wouldn’t make it for me yourself? :(_ Jongin sends back, laughing as Jjanggah tries to paw at the screen.

_I just don’t guarantee it’ll be as good if Kyungsoo made it_ , Chanyeol sends back a few minutes later, and before Jongin can even finish typing up a response, he follows it up with a second. _But I would make it. For you._

Jongin bites his lip to stop from smiling too much, and he tries not to read into it, even though he’s happy. _I’m gonna hold you to that then_ , Jongin replies, already looking forward to it. When he looks up from his phone, he finds Taemin staring at him from the end of the couch, amused, and Jongin embarrassedly rubs the back of his neck as he not-so-discreetly sets his phone away on the coffee table.

“Done texting your boyfriend?” Taemin asks, but doesn’t even wait for an answer before he’s heading back to the kitchen. “Come and help, then.”

“He’s not my--” Jongin starts automatically but gives up when it’s clear Taemin already believes he is and won’t accept anything else. He sighs, setting Jjanggah down onto the floor as he stands and tries not to let himself get too caught up in wishing, maybe, that it really was true.

-

“Chanyeol talks about you all the time, I’m glad I’m getting to finally meet you,” Kyungsoo says when Jongin visits Chanyeol at his apartment. He’s a small but rather intimidating guy, eyeing Jongin almost critically when he’d first walked in, but Jongin’s quickly learned in the hour that he’s been here that Kyungsoo is softer than he looks. And he seems to get a great deal of joy out of embarrassing Chanyeol.

“Don’t tell him that!” Chanyeol says loudly, a little pink in the face, and Jongin laughs while Kyungsoo smirks at him. “You shouldn’t believe anything he says, Jongin.”

“I don’t know,” Jongin teases as he pets through Nacho’s soft fur where he’s sprawled over Jongin’s lap. “He seems more reliable than you.”

“He’s a _lawyer_ , you can never trust them!”

“Go away,” Kyungsoo says, waving a hand at him. “I’m trying to tell Jongin all your secrets.”

Chanyeol pouts and Jongin pushes back the urge to kiss him; it’s a feeling that’s been popping up a lot whenever they meet up. He tries not to think about it, but it’s always there, niggling at the back of his mind what it might be like, if Chanyeol would even want it.

“How’s the spaghetti coming along?” Jongin asks, locking up all other thoughts and focusing on reality.

“It’s great!” Chanyeol says confidently before he rushes back into the kitchen to presumably check on it.

Jongin shakes his head in amusement and looks down at Nacho. “Is your owner always like that?” he asks him quietly, so only Kyungsoo can hear and not Chanyeol.

“Worse,” Kyungsoo replies solemnly and Jongin grins. “I’m amazed you even got him to make that for you. He’s always begging me to do it, but today he won’t even let me help.” He gives Jongin another one of those chilling stares. “He must really like you a lot.”

Jongin’s stomach swoops pleasantly at his words, but he just shrugs a shoulder and looks down. “I think he’s just trying to prove a point, really,” he says and doesn’t acknowledge Kyungsoo’s look of complete doubt. Quickly wanting to change the topic, Jongin stares down at Nacho’s collar and says, “He finally changed the tag.”

There’s a beat of silence, like Kyungsoo’s deciding whether or not to let him off the hook, but then he laughs and reaches out to slide a hand over Nacho’s head. “Yeah, took him long enough, that idiot,” he says, and Jongin laughs, too, smoothing his thumb over the engraved letters on Nacho’s new shiny tag. “He had no idea what to do with a dog when he brought Nacho home, so I told him he had to put his own name on it and even though he was skeptical, he did it anyway.” Kyungsoo rolls his eyes, but the smile on his face is mostly fond.

“See!” Chanyeol says, popping up behind them over the couch and nearly scaring them both. “I told you he can’t be trusted.” He narrows his eyes at Kyungsoo who just reaches out to squeeze the back of Chanyeol’s neck until he curls in on himself and draws away. “Be careful, Jongin,” he stage-whispers to him, rubbing his nape. “He might look cute, but he’s a shark.”

Jongin stifles a laugh behind his hand as Kyungsoo says, “You’re just weak. And besides, I like Jongin, so I won’t do anything to him.” He smiles warmly at Jongin who grins back and Chanyeol huffs loudly beside them, looking unimpressed.

“Don’t steal him from me,” Chanyeol says and Jongin glances up at him, surprised, but pleased, and Chanyeol won’t quite meet his eyes. Instead, he grabs Kyungsoo and practically bodily drags him off the couch, insisting he set the table so they can eat, and Jongin wonders if maybe he’s reading into Chanyeol’s words exactly how he wants them to sound.

Dinner is really fun and the food is delicious and Jongin really likes how Chanyeol’s ears turn pink at his compliments. It’s really cute, and Jongin falls a little more and he doesn’t think he can continue like this, constantly guessing if they’re friends or maybe something else. For now he just enjoys his evening, listening to Kyungsoo’s stories about Chanyeol that he vehemently refuse ever happened and reprimanding Chanyeol when he tries to feed Nacho some strings of pasta.

Kyungsoo heads into his room afterward, whispering into Jongin’s ear, “I’ll give you guys some privacy,” and smirks when Jongin flushes involuntarily. “Have fun!” he calls to Chanyeol before leaving, and when Jongin glances back at Chanyeol, he’s got a frown on his handsome features, staring after Kyungsoo.

“What did he tell you?” Chanyeol asks, but Jongin shakes his head and replies, “Nothing important.” He’s still pouting a little and only eases up when Jongin sits next to him on the couch and smiles widely and adds, “So, movie?”

They watch the 1978 version of Dawn of the Dead and Chanyeol is excited to start; he’d been rather offended when he found out Jongin had never seen it before and demanded that he come over soon so they could watch it together. 

“As a warning,” Jongin says as the credits roll onto the screen, “I get startled easily.”

Chanyeol glances askance at him, a smile tugging at his lips. “That’s cute,” he says and Jongin just curls his legs under himself and gets comfortable. When Chanyeol drops his arm around Jongin’s shoulders, he doesn’t question it, instead lets the warmth of Chanyeol’s body seep into him and smiles.

-

"Yo Jongin! Your boyfriend is here!" Taemin shouts louder than necessary to get Jongin stumbling out of his office. Thankfully they just closed for the night and there aren't any clients waiting around, but Jongin still slugs Taemin in the arm hard as he passes him. "Have a good date!" he says instead of looking even remotely sorry.

Jongin doesn't even bother to correct him, just heads for the door where Chanyeol is waiting, and feels his throat go a little dry at how good he looks in the leather jacket he’s wearing, his hair styled up from his face for once. "You look really nice," Jongin says before he can stop himself and Chanyeol smirks at him, like he's pleased.

"Thanks," he says, pushing the door open and letting Jongin through first. "You're don’t look so bad yourself."

"Really?" Jongin laughs. "I had a dog pee on me today so I don't feel particularly attractive.”

"You always look really cute to me," Chanyeol says and Jongin shakes his head a little.

"Flattery will get you nowhere," Jongin teases and Chanyeol laughs loudly, amused.

He nudges Jongin with his elbow and says, “We'll see about that,” and Jongin doesn’t dwell too much on the hint of promise in his voice.

They go to see Guardians of the Galaxy and buy too many snacks to share. They chat together happily as they wait and Jongin's skin tingles whenever Chanyeol leans over to whisper something into his ear during the previews. The movie is great and the music has Jongin wanting to dance in his seat. Chanyeol doesn’t even bother to stay too still or too quiet, taking advantage of the rather empty theater to sing along under his breath and grin at Jongin whenever he laughs.

Jongin usually drags Sehun to the movies with him but despite their shared interested in anything Marvel, he’s never as enthusiastic as Jongin is walking out of a good film. Chanyeol, on the other hand, is excited about this as much as anything else he does, and he doesn’t laugh at Jongin’s rambling but joins in. Together, they head to Koreatown for dinner, discussing the movie animatedly and pointing out the best scenes. Chanyeol starts to sing Hooked on a Feeling loudly on the street, his low voice a pleasant warmth in Jongin’s ears.

It’s a really good night and Jongin has become so aware of how much fun he has with Chanyeol, how no matter what he always ends up in a good mood. Chanyeol is funny and loud and smart, but also listens earnestly to everything Jongin has to say, whether it’s about his ridiculous love of comics or his tendency to rescue strays out on the street. Whenever they’re together, Chanyeol only looks at Jongin, eyes clear and interested and so focused, and Jongin really likes the attention, really likes how Chanyeol makes him feel.

And maybe that’s why he brings it up, looking for some kind of reaction out of Chanyeol to suggest he feels the way Jongin feels, that he wants more out of this than just friendship. Halfway through dinner, he says, “By the way, I’m sorry for Taemin. What he said earlier. He’s just teasing, he knows we’re not dating.”

Chanyeol looks up from his plate, surprise in his eyes for a moment before he laughs and nods. “Right,” he says, shaking his head. “Why are friends always like that? Kyungsoo is the same.”

Jongin knows he shouldn’t be disappointed by his reaction, but he is. He laughs, too, hopes it doesn’t sound as strained to Chanyeol as it does to himself. “Who even knows,” he says, popping a piece of meat into his mouth.

“Kyungsoo would bite off my head if i did that with him.”

“He seems to do that with anything you say to him, so I don't think it’d stop you,” Jongin teases and Chanyeol grins, unrepentant.

“You make a good point,” he concedes, raising his beer at Jongin before taking a drink and Jongin laughs.

The rest of the night goes by easily, conversing about every random topic that pops up in their minds. Jongin eagerly asks him how he’s finding the Higashino novel and Chanyeol gives him updates on Nacho’s condition, suggests they should meet at the park sometime so Nacho can play with Jongin’s puppies again. Chanyeol is much quieter as they finish eating and head out back into the chilly night and Jongin almost wishes he could wrap an arm around Chanyeol to stay warm, but instead stuffs his hands into his pockets and asks if he’s okay. There’s something in the way Chanyeol won’t quite look at him, just shaking his head and telling him he’s tired, that has Jongin concerned, but he doesn’t press.

They part ways at the station, Chanyeol smiling at Jongin and saying, “Have a good night, Jongin. I’ll call you, okay?” before he leaves and Jongin can’t help but feel that something is off in that smile the entire way home.

-

In the next few days it’s like Chanyeol has suddenly vanished from the face of the earth. Jongin texts him to meet for lunch on Tuesday but doesn’t get any response, he sends pictures of Jjangah in a new sweater he bought her but hears nothing, he asks if he’s okay and gets only a short, _I’m fine, Jongin! Just busy!_ back that has Jongin wondering if he’s done something wrong. Things had been going so well that Jongin can’t figure out what happened, if he said or did something that is making Chanyeol suddenly so distant.

“You probably scared him away with your lameness,” Sehun says when Jongin meets up with him after another failed attempt to get Chanyeol to hang out.

“Shut up,” Jongin says, regretting ever telling Sehun anything.

“Stop pouting at your phone like that, you’re pathetic,” Sehun says, and he reaches out to grab Jongin’s phone from him, but Jongin quickly shrinks back, hiding his phone behind his back. “Just _call_ him, if you’re so worried.”

“I did,” Jongin says quietly, “but he didn’t answer.” He worries his lower lip between his teeth and feels increasingly upset the more he thinks about this. “He doesn’t want to talk to me.”

“ _I_ don’t even want to talk to you right now,” Sehun grumbles and Jongin stretches his leg across the couch to kick Sehun in the butt. Sehun is quick to retaliate, tossing aside the television remote and practically tackling Jongin against the couch. They fight for a few minutes until Jongin’s sadness is replaced by laughter and Sehun falling off the couch in an ungraceful pile of limbs.

It only lasts a few short minutes though before Jongin pulls his legs up to his chest and pouts back down at Sehun. “What should I do?” Jongin asks. “We had so much fun together last weekend, and maybe he really is just busy? But then it doesn’t take that much time to reply to a text, right? Maybe he thinks I’m being annoying or something. Maybe he--oh god.”

“What?” Sehun deadpans from the floor, his voice rather muffled into his carpet.

“Maybe it’s because of what Taemin said,” Jongin says slowly, remembering how he’d brought that stupid thing up during dinner, how Chanyeol had gone a little quiet after that and Jongin couldn’t figure out why. “But I told him not to take it seriously, that he’s not my boyfriend--”

Sehun suddenly sits up and smacks his palm into Jongin’s forehead. “Stop,” he says loudly and Jongin opens his mouth to refute him but Sehun narrows his eyes and looks rather menacing for once that Jongin obeys with a defeated sigh. “Listen to me carefully, okay?” He waits until Jongin nods before he continues, “I don’t care if either of you have said it aloud or not, but _yes_ , Chanyeol is basically your boyfriend.”

“But he’s not,” Jongin says.

“You want him to be, don’t you?” Sehun asks and Jongin hesitates for a second before he gives into that, too. Sehun looks smug and it makes Jongin want to punch him a little. Instead he just stays silent and lets Sehun continue his lecture. “Look, you like him and it’s really obvious Chanyeol is into you, too. You talk about him all the time, you go out with him as much as you can, he comes to pick you up from work like a good boyfriend and he even fucking bought your stupid dogs some special treats that one time you invited him over.”

“Don’t call my kids stupid,” Jongin mumbles in a rather futile attempt to evade Sehun’s actual point.

“Wake the fuck up, Jongin,” Sehun says, even going so far as to grab Jongin’s shoulders and shake him a little. Jongin laughs as he swats him away and Sehun finally hauls himself back up onto the couch. “Maybe the reason he’s been avoiding you is not because what Taemin said offended him or something, but because you so easily dismissed him being your boyfriend and _he wants to be_.”

Jongin stares at him, a little slack-jawed because he hadn’t thought about it that way. He’s been so wrapped up in trying not to get too ahead of himself, not read into everything, but maybe he should have. Maybe he should have been bolder, held Chanyeol’s hand or kissed him when he wanted to. He should have asked him what they were, instead of letting it all simmer inside of him until it finally pushed Chanyeol away instead of bringing him closer.

“Fuck,” he says, rubbing his face with his hands and running them up through his hair. He looks helplessly at Sehun who just shrugs at him.

“That’s as much advice as I could dredge up,” he says, and Jongin pushes him back off the couch.

“You’re useless,” he says, but already he’s feeling better and now, at least, he knows what he has to do.

-

Chanyeol’s mentioned more than once his interest in music, in listening to all sorts of genres and playing the guitar himself and trying to go to concerts whenever he can, no matter who the artist is. Jongin hears about a show for a band at Irving Plaza from Yixing and instantly texts Chanyeol the information, asks if he wants to go and hopes that maybe, just maybe, this will be enough to get him to come out with him again after a week of near radio silence.

He’s surprised but mostly relieved that Chanyeol says yes, sounding, for the first time in his short text replies, really excited. It makes Jongin excited, too, and he can’t wait for the weekend to come fast enough.

When they meet up that Saturday, it’s really like nothing has changed at all since the last time. Chanyeol greets Jongin with a bright smile, not like the one he’d parted with a week ago, and Jongin is instantly at ease, laughing as he flicks at the bill of Chanyeol’s snapback, and says, “How many of these do you own?”

“Too many,” Chanyeol says, laughing with him, and he pulls the hat off to instead jam it onto Jongin’s head. He tilts his head to the side and then grins. “Looks better on you,” he says, and Jongin’s heart races. It’s ridiculous that it’s only been a week and Jongin has missed him so much.

“I’m really glad you came today,” Jongin says as they stop at a fast food place to get a quick dinner before the show. “You’ve been so busy this week.”

“Yeah, I’m sorry about that,” Chanyeol says and he does look apologetic. “We’re swamped at work with a new project and I just had a lot on my mind.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Jongin says with a wave of his hand. “Next time, just remember to reply to some of my texts, okay? You’re the only person I can send pictures of puppies to without getting blocked.”

Chanyeol laughs. “Okay, okay,” he says, “I’ll do it for the puppies.”

The concert is jam packed and energetic and Jongin hasn’t been to a live show in awhile so he’s having a blast. Chanyeol is loud and enthusiastic over every song, singing along to the ones he knows and jumping around to the ones he doesn’t. It’s almost too easy to get lost in the crowd and Jongin tries to stick close, but it’s Chanyeol who ends up standing behind him, hands resting at his hips to keep him in place and Jongin feels so wonderfully secure like this, leans back lightly against Chanyeol’s chest for more comfort, more contact.

He tilts his head up and says, “Having fun?” and Chanyeol leans down, slanting his ear closer so he can hear better and Jongin repeats himself. Chanyeol’s hands tighten at his hips as he speaks and he only pulls back a little bit to nod eagerly in response. There’s not much distance between them right now and Jongin glances at Chanyeol’s mouth for a moment before looking away. He so wants to kiss him, but not like this, not until they’ve talked about this and Jongin has said everything that’s been on his mind for weeks.

He grins at Chanyeol and turns back toward the stage, biting his lower lip as he takes each of Chanyeol’s hands on either side of him and lightly pulls until Chanyeol’s wrapped his arms around Jongin, their hands clasped together at his stomach. “That’s better,” he says as loud as he can without being obvious and he knows Chanyeol has heard because he squeezes him gently, and just as Jongin couldn’t wait until tonight to come, now he can’t wait for this concert to be over.

Jongin’s apartment is closer to the venue than Chanyeol’s, and it’s pretty late by the time the show is over. They’ve both had a drink or two, and Jongin suggests that Chanyeol just stay over for the night. “It’s fine, honestly,” he insists, “and besides, I think my kids would like to see you.”

“Well, I definitely can’t say no to them,” he says, but he looks straight at Jongin as he says it and hope bubbles up in Jongin’s stomach.

They’re a block away from Jongin’s apartment when he blurts out, “This was a date, right?” He wanted to wait until they were inside, but it’s almost as if he didn’t say it now, then he might not say it at all, and Jongin knows they need to have this talk.

Clearly Chanyeol is not expecting it because he just about falls flat on his face in the sidewalk and only regains his balance because Jongin catches him in time, pulling him upright and letting an arm slide around his waist. “What?” he says, eyes wide and searching.

“Well, it’s just that it feels like a date,” Jongin says slowly and he wishes he’d thought this all through better because the words sound so jumbled. “I mean, I really like you, Chanyeol, and we spend a lot of time together and sometimes it seems like we’ve been dating for awhile.” 

Chanyeol is still gaping at him and Jongin hesitantly pulls away from him, anxious.

“Or--maybe it’s just me, I don't know. I just know that I like being with you and that this past week really sucked without you around and I want to be able to hold your hand and kiss you and not have to deny it every time Taemin jokingly calls you my boyfriend--” Jongin takes a deep breath and sighs, “Will you _say_ something?”

It takes a moment, like Chanyeol is too busy trying to process everything and, well, Jongin can’t really blame him for that, because this isn’t how he’d planned on explaining himself. He’s about to apologize, maybe take it all back, when Chanyeol suddenly grabs his wrist and says, “Let’s talk inside.”

Jongin nods once and focuses on just leading the way into his apartment, pulling his keys from his pocket and heading up the stairs. He’s even more anxious now, with Chanyeol so unusually quiet. He can’t tell what he’s thinking, what he’s going to say. Maybe he wanted to go inside to let Jongin down gently, tell him he doesn’t feel the same, but the second Jongin gets the door to his apartment open, Chanyeol is pushing him inside and into the adjacent wall and covering his mouth with his own.

Jongin’s surprised gasp gets lost somewhere between Chanyeol’s warm, plush lips, and his hands find themselves clutching to the front of Chanyeol’s jacket, gripping on tightly like if he lets go then Chanyeol will slip right through his fingers. He wonders if this is how Chanyeol felt when Jongin confessed out on the street: lost and yet so incredibly pleased, his heart thrumming in his ears and warmth spreading out through his veins.

Fingers slide through Jongin’s hair and Chanyeol sighs into his mouth like he’s relieved, like he’s glad that Jongin isn’t pushing him away, is reciprocating. He presses up against him a little more, Jongin twisting his head up to be able to continue kissing him, releasing one hand to cup the back of Chanyeol’s neck and groaning at the knee that pushes between his thighs. Jongin loses all concept of time as they make out like this in the doorway of his apartment, lost in the complete wonders of Chanyeol’s hands on him, his tongue slipping into his mouth, his low, chuckles whenever they pull apart for a second of air before drawing each other right back in.

It’s only when the incessant barking of Jongin’s dogs starts do they finally break away, flushed and panting, and Jongin quickly shuts the door before any of his pets runs out while Chanyeol scoops down to pick up Monggu and lead the way inside.

“Do you, um, want something to drink?” Jongin asks, running a hand through his already mused up hair and feeling suddenly nervous.

Chanyeol shakes his head and pats the space on the couch next to him. Jongin sits down beside him, his puppies all crowding around at their feet, and before Jongin can say anything, Chanyeol grabs a fistful of Jongin’s shirt and pulls him into one deep kiss. “I’ve wanted to do that for so long,” he says afterward and Jongin laughs incredulously, his mind reeling.

“I wish you’d said something sooner then,” he says.

“I thought I was making myself pretty clear!” Chanyeol defends himself, and Jongin kisses away the pout that forms on his lips and wow, does he really like being able to finally _do_ this instead of just think about it.

“Then I guess it was me,” Jongin says, shaking his head. “I just wasn’t sure that you felt the same way, that you wanted this.”

“Are you sure now?” Chanyeol says, leering, and Jongin thinks his face might break with how wide he’s smiling.

“What do you think?” Jongin returns, scooting in closer to Chanyeol’s side and slipping his fingers into Chanyeol’s.

Chanyeol purses his lips thoughtfully, like he really doesn’t know, and then turns to Jongin’s puppies, instead. “Tell me, kids. He definitely knows, right?” he asks them seriously, and Jongin laughs into Chanyeol’s shoulder, grinning as all three of this puppies bark back up at Chanyeol, Jjangah trying to climb up onto the the couch and Chanyeol picking her up easily, letting her lick at his chin. “That’s what I thought,” Chanyeol says, nodding at her, and Jongin rolls his eyes.

“Come here, you idiot,” he says, pulling Chanyeol to him for another kiss.


End file.
